Art021 Launches in Hong Kong with a Promising New Art Fair https://ift.tt/mnAglpw

The Art021 Hong Kong Art Fair (Art021 HK) made a swift debut on August 29th, opening its doors less than nine months after its initial conception.

Founded by Art021 Group—the company behind Art021 Shanghai and Jing Art Fair in Beijing—Art021 HK has an ambitious vision: revolutionizing the art fair experience by integrating exhibition elements and serving as a bridge to showcase art from the Global South to a wider international audience.

Co-founder David Chau also pointed out that while Hong Kong—with its considerable art market value—has long been Asia’s art hub, the city often places too much emphasis on sales figures. By blending commercial elements with nonprofit initiatives, Art021 HK, which also marks the company’s foray into the international market, aims to cultivate Hong Kong’s art scene and establish a sustainable, alternative fair format.

“We want to change the art fair model,” he said. “Like a smaller Venice Biennale, we want visitors to explore multiple venues, not just the main hall, Arsenale.”

So, unlike most art fairs that unfold in drab convention centers, Art021 HK is spread across four different locations. Chau added that this year’s inaugural edition—which runs until September 8th—is a trial run, and they may adjust the format based on feedback for next year.

Of the 82 participating galleries, 31 are featured in the main venue, Galleries, located at the Asia-Pacific headquarters of Phillips, the auction house. The remaining galleries and artists’ studios are showcased in one or more of the peripheral sections within the Asia Society’s Hong Kong Center, the Fringe Club in Central, or Victoria Park, which showcases curated programs of film-related, installation, and performance art, as well as a free, large-scale sculpture exhibition.

Spread over three floors at Phillips’s headquarters, the fair places regional heavyweights, such as ShanghArt, Whitestone Gallery, and Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, on the lower floor. Younger galleries are placed on the second and third floors.

Visitors were elbow to elbow as soon as the opening preview began at 1 p.m. Lifts to the third floor were frequently congested throughout the day, requiring visitors to wait for multiple cycles.

Notable figures from Hong Kong’s art scene—including Patrick Sun, founder of the Sunpride Foundation; Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development; and Angela Leong, director of casino company SJM Holdings—were among the high-profile attendees.

The crowd overall was predominantly regional, with many traveling from Shanghai and Shenzhen, mirroring the geographical origins of most participating galleries. Several collectors and curators from Southeast Asia and the Middle East were also in the mix, such as Filipino collector Timothy Tan, and Lucas Morin, the curator of Jameel Art Centre in Dubai.

And in an art world where fairs are aplenty, Art021 HK aims to differentiate itself by prioritizing a diverse range of artists and galleries from the Global South.

Iranian-born American artist Amir H. Fallah took over the booth of Gallery All, which has locations in Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Stockholm. Richly ornamental works by the artist, who left Iran at the age of four after the revolution, blend themes and patterns from Persian myths, miniatures, and Western pop culture. With works priced between $6,000 and $40,000, one piece was quickly acquired by a Chinese collector, while three others were on hold at the time of reporting.

The 7,000 reported attendees on the first day swept away concerns from some galleries worried about low attendance due to the upcoming school day in Hong Kong, and sales figures varied between galleries.

Several prominent Chinese galleries reported strong sales. For example, Hive Contemporary sold a painting by Yongqing Tan for the equivalent of $56,000. MadeIn Gallery sold a third of its exhibited works, priced between $20,000 and $28,000 on the first day. Taiwanese gallery Each Modern sold eight works by Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki for $1,100 each, while works by modern Chinese artists Chen Ting-shih and Yuichi Inoue sold for around $40,000 each.

Since March—which saw the debut of the new boutique fair Supper Club—multiple new fairs have announced plans to expand into the Hong Kong market, including Photo Fair and the African art fair 1-54.

The success of Art021 HK’s inaugural edition could signal Hong Kong’s capacity for additional art fairs, as well as the organizers’ ability to replicate the success of their flagship event, Art021 Shanghai. Many gallerists from nearby Shenzhen visited Hong Kong to evaluate the potential of participating in the next edition.

Others are drawn to Art021HK’s boutique atmosphere. Ryotaro Ishigami, director of Japan’s YOD Gallery, chose to attend Hong Kong instead of Shanghai this year, citing Hong Kong’s market advantages and the venue’s proximity to M+, Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art museum, which creates a culturally immersive atmosphere for potential visitors. The gallery dedicated its small booth to emerging Japanese artist Nobuo Sekine and quickly sold a piece to a local collector just hours after the opening.

“The atmosphere is relaxed; you don’t have to walk too far, and you can easily chat with your friends,” said Huang Yaji, the founder of Each Modern. She noted that the venue’s straightforward yet high-quality design, tailored for art exhibitions, complements its works with minimal adjustments.

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Isamu Noguchi and Marisol sculptures to headline Sotheby’s Abrams family sale. https://ift.tt/Vwz7Ukp

Sotheby’s will auction notable sculptures by Isamu Noguchi and Marisol in the upcoming Abrams Family Collection sale on September 27th in New York. The sale will highlight the multigenerational art collection of publishing mogul Harry N. Abrams and his son Robert Abrams. It follows the younger Abrams’s death last year at the age of 80.

Noguchi’s marble sculpture Study for Energy Void (1971) is valued at $3 million–$5 million. Robert Abrams acquired it directly from the artist in 1979. Carved from a single slab of marble, this piece is a critical example of Noguchi’s exploration of form and negative space. Noguchi created three sculptures exploring the concept of the energy void, or the synthesis of physical form and absence. The example on offer at Sotheby’s is the only one made in marble.

Meanwhile, Marisol’s The Bicycle Race (1962–63) is expected to fetch $250,000–$350,000 at the auction. This work, depicting two wooden sculptural figures mounted on bicycles, is one of the artist’s most significant pieces to appear at auction since The Cocktail Party (1965–66) achieved her auction record of $912,000 at Sotheby’s New York in 2005. Notably, The Bicycle Race was featured in a Life magazine article on Harry Abrams published in 1965. In 1968, it was one of the eight works featured in the Venezuelan pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

“The mission that drove the Abrams Family’s collecting philosophy is truly inspiring,” said Nicole Schloss, senior specialist of contemporary art at Sotheby’s. “They were unwaveringly dedicated to furthering the careers of the artists they believed in and fervently supported them through publishing their works, generously loaning to exhibitions, and above all, counting many of the artists as friends. Their visionary eye for the best artists of their time and their understanding of contemporary art as ever-shifting is reflected in the diversity of the works they collected.”

Also up for auction is Alex Katz’s portrait Joan (1974), valued between $1.5 million and $2 million. A rare example of a nude portrait by the artist, Joan portrays a friend of the Katz family in the hazy light of his SoHo studio. Other noteworthy artworks in the sale include Bob Thompson’s Nativity Scene (c. 1964), with an estimate of $500,000–$700,000, and Fernando Botero’s El Cardenal (1977), estimated at $700,000–$1 million.

The Abrams family often acquired artworks the year they were created or soon after, directly from the artist or the first presenting gallery. Many works in this sale are appearing at auction for the first time.

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10 Gallery Leaders Shaping the Online Art World https://ift.tt/rxpfkDH

As the online art market continues to grow in importance, establishing a strong online presence has become essential to running a successful gallery. After all, in the current art world, online marketplaces have surpassed art fairs as the most impactful way for galleries to meet new clients. A digital strategy is no longer just about updating the gallery website or creating the occasional viewing room—it has become an integral part of a gallery’s overall sales strategy and operations.

In this context, we present the inaugural Artsy Gallery Report. Based on Artsy data, this new report highlights the top-performing partner galleries on Artsy across four categories, based on their size and success on Artsy. In addition to the full report—which can be downloaded here—we offer an abbreviated version online, plus this feature on gallery owners and leaders.

The top-performing galleries highlighted across our report have fully integrated digital channels into their in-person programming, promoting their shows and fair booths on their own online channels as well as platforms like Artsy. And behind each gallery is a dedicated team—large or small—that is using these tools to drive sales and connect with clients around the world. Here, we highlight 10 industry leaders who are integral to driving their gallery’s online strategy.

In the responses below, these individuals share how they are using Artsy to boost their gallery’s online presence and give advice to peers looking to do the same. They also share their predictions for the biggest changes to impact the art market in the decade to come.

Clara Bodelon

Director of Digital and Audiences, White Cube

Since joining White Cube in 2022 as director of digital and audiences, Clara Bodelon has been instrumental in evolving the mega-gallery’s online presence. With galleries in London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, and Seoul, White Cube has a busy program featuring some of today’s most established artists and estates, as well as an evolving cohort of emerging talent.

In addition to regularly uploading its gallery shows to Artsy, White Cube also uses the platform to launch dedicated sales of prints and works by newly represented artists through viewing rooms.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Artsy’s reach—particularly in the U.S. and among younger collectors—has been essential in helping us build a fuller picture of new markets. As White Cube’s footprint expands globally and digitally, this has been particularly useful.

Artsy regularly introduces new features to help galleries offer a seamless online experience for collectors. Particularly important for us are options to better manage collectors’ expectations on availability, without discouraging them from getting in touch and building new relationships.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

The busiest online moments usually coincide with extremely busy offline events, which can make it easy to lose sight of potentially important opportunities. It is critical to be conscious of resources. One way to manage more demanding moments is through testing and exploring new tools—make a conscious effort to track and monitor results.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the art market in the next 10 years?

As collectors trend towards wanting more control of what they acquire, the market will need to find ways to increase transparency.

Marisa Elena Todd

Chief Digital Officer, David Zwirner

Formerly a VP of product and design at Artsy, Marisa Elena Todd joined David Zwirner in 2022 as chief digital officer. As one of the largest galleries in the world, David Zwirner has an industry-leading online presence, ranging from its e-commerce site Platform to Dialogues, one of the art world’s favorite podcasts. The gallery, which represents more than 60 artists and estates, has been an Artsy partner since 2014.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Artsy has enabled us to continue to connect with a diverse range of global collectors—from next-generation collectors to established collectors and art advisors.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

For galleries aspiring to expand their online presence, it is important to ensure that your digital presence not only supports but also enhances your ongoing programming, including exhibitions, fairs, and museum shows.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

We are currently witnessing one of the largest wealth transfers in history. This new generation of collectors will be looking for new and seamless ways to begin assembling their collections.

Kathy Grayson

Owner, The Hole

Kathy Grayson founded The Hole in 2010 on the Bowery in New York. The gallery has since expanded to a second space in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, and a third in Los Angeles. Known for its focus on emerging artists and thematic group shows, the gallery has grown into an established tastemaker that maintains a consistently strong monthly program and art fair schedule.

The gallery upholds a similarly robust presence on Artsy, where its roster of artists and uploaded artworks is maintained in a curated style that reflects the gallery’s dynamic artist presentations.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

We are selective about what we put on Artsy; we don’t just dump everything on there. We update our artwork records constantly by adding additional images or categories and uploading exhibitions so people can get a sense of our exhibitions (not just available single pieces).

We also use Artsy ourselves for curatorial research, and I have personally inquired after purchases for my own collection. That is to say, we boost our presence online by being active.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Pay attention to it—don’t treat it as an afterthought. You may not get an instant ROI, but you are playing a crucial long game. If you aren’t sure how to put your best foot forward online, the only way to figure it out is to practice, so jump in.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the art market in the next 10 years?

The emerging art market is extremely volatile…I could write an essay on how it has changed just over the past month! But prognosticating about the next 10 years: The in-person experience stayed strong and was perhaps even burnished to a brighter shine by the pandemic; it isn’t going away.

Galleries need to play the online game correctly, mostly with reach and clarity, but also in person to provide a more meaningful experience: presenting shows that are more involved and need to be visited; enhancing human connection and relationships with clients and the general public; more impact at art fairs.

Especially in the emerging sector with works under $100,000, I bet that galleries will start to match the online and in-person balance and sleekness of high-end retail. I’m making no qualitative judgment about that.

From a marketing standpoint, mastering video is clearly the most important thing right now. I bet galleries start hiring videographers more than photographers soon.

Frej Forsblom

Director and Owner, Makasiini Contemporary

Frej Forsblom founded Makasiini Contemporary in 2016 in the Finnish city of Turku. The gallery’s program focuses on long-term collaborations with emerging and mid-career artists, which it showcases in nine main shows annually.

The gallery leverages digital strategy to achieve substantial growth in a way that has transcended its geographical location. Several of the gallery’s artists, such as Eliza Douglas and Jacob Hashimoto, have experienced substantial growth in demand. By uploading artworks from the full swath of its artist list, the gallery brings itself into contact with a global pool of collectors.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Artsy serves as a powerful tool to connect with new global collectors. Our experience shows that the more we invest in and engage with Artsy, the more inquiries and interest we see. By regularly uploading our most high-demand inventory, we keep our content fresh and enticing.

Keeping in regular touch with our Artsy advisor also helps us get more visibility by sharing our program. This increases our chances of being featured in curatorial collections and editorial content, which are distributed directly to collectors. We’ve also recently upgraded to a marketing plan, utilizing different ads and featured content to further boost our presence.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

To grow online, galleries must be active on social media, especially Instagram, and Artsy. Regularly adding content keeps followers engaged and informed about new and available works.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

The online market will continue to expand. The location of the gallery space will become less important compared to what you can offer online. The new generations, deeply connected with their mobile devices, find everything online now, which will help the global market grow. However, finding exciting ways to engage these audiences is crucial.

Art fairs will remain significant, but only the strongest will survive. It will become increasingly important to think more collaboratively and with a broader perspective.

Adeolu Tahouf

Founder, Ogirikan Art Gallery

Adeolu Tahouf founded Ogirikan Art Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria, with a mission to support young artists and provide a platform for more established names.

A pillar in its local community, the gallery organized Nigeria’s first miniature art fair in 2018. With its free entry and accessible prices, the fair extends the gallery’s goal of making art accessible to all. This is also reflected in the gallery’s presence on Artsy, where it uploads an extensive range of artworks by emerging artists.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

We upload at least one show monthly to keep our profile fresh and engaging and leverage a premium Artsy plan that includes viewing rooms, which we use to feature and highlight select artworks by our represented artists. By doing so, we’ve been able to showcase our artists’ works to a broader audience, drive traffic, and provide an immersive experience.

What is your main piece of advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Curate a diverse range of artists, including those who create miniature and small-scale works at affordable prices. This will help meet the needs of collectors with small spaces, first-time buyers, or those looking to add to their collections without breaking the bank.

Consider showcasing these smaller works prominently on your website and social media, and utilize relevant hashtags to increase discoverability.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

I think the biggest change we’ll see in the market over the next 10 years is a significant increase in young collectors (under the age of 40) seeking affordable abstract art. This demographic will likely drive demand for emerging artists and more accessible price points, potentially disrupting traditional market trends.

Joe Kennedy

Co-Founder and Director, Unit

Joe Kennedy founded Unit in 2013 with his childhood best friend Johnny Burt. With a growing roster of artists (many of whom it co-represents with peer galleries), Unit is experiencing a banner year in 2024, opening a group show in Venice during the Biennale, and its own artist residency program, in partnership with ArtReview, in France.

The London-based gallery runs an intensive program that often includes more than three shows per month across physical and digital channels. In addition to consistently adding artworks and shows to Artsy, the gallery is an avid user of tools such as viewing rooms, which it leverages to present its shows in a nuanced, contextualized format.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Make sure you develop a strategy that aligns with the bigger goals of your gallery—whether that’s geographic, demographic, or otherwise. Everything you do online should derive authentically from your values and vision for your gallery and artists. Treat the online space as you do your physical. You wouldn’t tolerate scuffs on the walls of your gallery, so don’t allow low-quality images on your online channels, either.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

We’re going to see an accelerated expansion of the size of the art market, with purchasing power in the hands of non-traditional and new types of collectors. Alongside this, I expect a drastic increase in transparency in the market, facilitated by access to big data. These changes will have many outcomes—one of them being, I suspect, a re-framing of the traditional model of gallery-artist representation and more agency for artists and their collaborators.

Yuting Zhu

Operation Manager, 樂兿居 ARTIN SPACE

Yuting Zhu is the operation manager at 樂兿居 ARTIN SPACE, a secondary-market specialist that runs two gallery spaces in Hong Kong and Hangzhou, China.

The gallery’s Artsy page contains a broad range of works by in-demand Chinese artists such as Chu Teh-Chun and Liu Ye, as well as established European names such as Joan Miró. While it runs a physical program of shows, the gallery leverages its extensive inventory to run concurrent digital presentations, using Artsy as a gateway to engage with new collectors.

An e-commerce-first business, the gallery also prices works transparently on Artsy and responds rapidly to collector inquiries.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Artsy not only provides the basic functions for online sales, but also includes sections like shows, fairs, and viewing rooms. Because of space limitations, our gallery cannot host quarterly exhibitions (which means most of our inventory remains in storage). But Artsy’s sections of shows and viewing rooms allow us to achieve this online, presenting our artworks within a cohesive theme or narrative. This makes the works easier to remember and enhances our gallery’s visibility.

What is your main piece of advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Even though we cannot see the faces of every customer who comes to inquire or purchase online, behind each ID, they are real people. Sincerity is the most important quality in all business relating to people. Whether in taking photos of an artwork, packaging, or shipping, a sincere attitude ensures speed and credibility.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the art market in the next 10 years?

Platforms like Artsy are making artworks more accessible. It will lead the client base to extend beyond traditional collectors. The collectors will also become more diverse in their art interests, unlike before, when people mainly focused on purchasing works by domestic artists.

Adenrele Sonariwo

Founding Director, Rele

Adenrele Sonariwo founded Rele in 2010 as an interface between the African and international art worlds. Initially starting as a nomadic gallery, it opened its first physical space in Lagos in 2015 before expanding to Los Angeles in 2018 and London this year. A flagbearer for contemporary African art, Sonariwo is also a founding director of the nonprofit Rele Arts Foundation and an esteemed curator: Her projects have included the first Nigerian pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale.

Rele’s online presence mirrors the gallery’s ambitious and broad programming. The gallery keeps an up-to-date selection of artworks and shows online, frequently with visible pricing, plentiful imagery, and accompanying text that educates—as well as attracts the attention of—new collectors.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

We consistently ensure that all of our shows, across all three locations, and new works from our artists, are posted on the Artsy platform.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Be consistent and patient.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

The audience will continue to widen as platforms like Artsy are making it more accessible for people to engage with and collect art.

Frazer Bailey

Director, Moosey

Frazer Bailey founded Moosey in the British city of Norwich in 2013 to spotlight lesser-known emerging artists. Bailey first started the gallery as a side hustle alongside his day job as a train fixer before making Moosey his full-time endeavor. In addition to running the gallery, Bailey also operates a dedicated print studio, where he and his artists create screenprints at accessible price points.

Moosey prides itself on fostering an inclusive environment for new and seasoned collectors alike. It has used Artsy to cultivate a loyal international clientele.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Instagram used to be the best tool for emerging galleries, but these days it’s becoming more difficult to be seen due to their algorithms and the obsession with Reels. This means that we had to double down on any other tools available to us, Artsy being one. It’s definitely a tool that benefits you more the more you put into it. We’ve connected with some great collectors around the world who now continuously buy from the gallery through Artsy.

What is your main piece of advice to galleries looking to grow online?

It’s so tough right now for galleries like us who don’t have any financial backing—there are not many tools out there that don’t cost money. My advice is that it’s now down to the artists you choose. You have to be different and work with artists that haven’t been seen before.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

I think the biggest change we’ll see is that there’ll be a lot fewer galleries. The art world boomed so much in the COVID era and suddenly everyone wanted to open a gallery. Now the climate is a lot different. I just hope that there’s always strong backing for galleries showcasing emerging talent, taking risks, and so on.

Jaime Villamarin

Assistant Director, RoGallery

Jamie Villamarin joined RoGallery in 1999, and today serves as an assistant director at the Long Island City gallery.

RoGallery’s secondary-market inventory includes works by some of the leading names in modern and contemporary art, from Damien Hirst to Elaine de Kooning. Founded in the mid-1970s by Gail and Robert Rogal, the gallery was an early adopter of digital technologies, launching its website in 1995 and online art auctions in 2000.

RoGallery is among the most active partners on Artsy today. The gallery optimizes its potential for making sales by prioritizing uploading works by artists with high demand on a regular basis.

How have you used Artsy to boost your gallery’s presence online?

Artsy has an amazing assortment of tools. By prioritizing the best of our inventory when uploading, we are able to maximize our viewership and maintain our status as a gallery that provides exciting and high-quality art. Artsy has a remarkable customer base with very discerning taste. Pieces from our collection have sold to cities across the globe.

What is your advice to galleries looking to grow online?

Consistency is key. Having a schedule of new pieces helps to stay on top of search pages and at the forefront of every collector’s mind. The goal is to always be present and always be new. People remember what they see regularly. When you upload more pieces, people are likely to remember your gallery’s name.

What’s the biggest change you think we’ll see in the market in the next 10 years?

If the last 10 years prove anything, it’s that customer service and building customer relationships are absolutely key. In ages past, this was done in person and one-on-one, but as technology changes, so, too, does the nature of how we foster these relationships.

RoGallery prides itself on being one of the first online galleries, putting our collection online in 1996. Since then, we have always seen the benefit of moving our collection with the tide. In the future, customers will expect a substantially larger presence online, with galleries that respond quickly and thoughtfully across a myriad of platforms.

Today with Artsy, galleries can use tools like “Send Offer” and collector profiles to ensure that every collector is communicated with intentionally. Our eye is also on TikTok, particularly for the future of the art market as more and more members of Gen Z become collectors.

Download the full Artsy Gallery Report 2024.

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The Artsy Gallery Report 2024 https://ift.tt/Ye154cI

Welcome to the Artsy Gallery Report 2024. The first of its kind, this new report highlights galleries and the individuals behind them who are leading the art industry online, according to Artsy data.

What follows is a series of rankings of the top-performing galleries on Artsy that are cultivating commercial success online.

Through analyzing our data that shows the galleries garnering the most commercial interactions on Artsy, we devised four segments: large galleries, which may have entire, multi-person teams working on their digital strategy; small and mid-size galleries, which include tighter teams and emerging programs that have integrated online sales work into staff responsibilities; secondary-market galleries, who tend to sell inventory by artists with the highest search volume online; and a final group of galleries with the most momentum, highlighting a wide range of businesses with significant growth in their online performance over the past year.

This report is inspired by the growth in the online art market in recent years, particularly since the pandemic. While some believed that the art world’s embrace of online sales during COVID-19 lockdowns would fade as galleries reopened and physical art fairs returned, online sales continued to rise in 2023, growing 7% despite the market overall contracting by 4%, according to Clare McAndrew’s The Art Market 2024 report.

That growth is likely driven in large part by innovative galleries like those listed below, and the individuals in charge of maintaining a robust digital presence and online sales strategy. As part of this report, we spotlight 10 gallery industry leaders who are doing just that, and have had an outsized impact on their gallery’s success online. In a supplementary feature, these figures share insights on building their gallery’s online operations and their advice for peers who are looking to do the same.

Here, we share an abridged version of the report. Read the full analysis by downloading The Artsy Gallery Report 2024.

Large galleries

Here, we focus on the top-performing large galleries on Artsy, according to our data on commercial interactions from June 2023 to June 2024.

These galleries represent some of the most significant names in the international art market and have a large physical presence internationally. They appear at the world’s leading art fairs and/or have gallery spaces on multiple continents. These galleries also each represent over 30 artists and/or estates of high value and importance.

Along with their established reputations, these galleries are actively implementing digital strategies to reach new audiences and collectors online.

Topping the rankings for this inaugural report is Almine Rech. The gallery, which was founded in 1997, has 10 locations worldwide and maintains one of the most packed art fair schedules of any gallery operating today.

Small and mid-size galleries

This section ranks the top-performing small and mid-size galleries on Artsy, according to commercial interactions from June 2023 to June 2024.

These galleries represent the core of the art world today. They have a consistent primary-market program and solid rosters of represented artists; many of them have carved out a reputation for supporting emerging artists.

Much like the large galleries on Artsy, the names here maintain a regular tempo of uploading artworks and shows online, and use digital channels as a key component of their overall sales strategies.

Topping this list is Unit. The London gallery, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, runs an intensive program that often includes more than three shows per month across physical and digital channels. With a growing roster of artists (many of whom it co-represents with peer galleries), Unit is experiencing a banner year in 2024, from mounting a group show in Venice during the Biennale to opening an artist residency program, in partnership with ArtReview, in France.

Secondary-market galleries

This section ranks the top performing secondary-market galleries on Artsy, according to commercial activity from June 2023 to June 2024.

While these galleries may represent some primary-market artists, their businesses are heavily grounded in the secondary market. These galleries have extensive inventories of works by some of the most recognizable and prolific artists of the past century and deal heavily in prints and editions. Many have developed deep specialties and are experts in their fields.

The galleries in this list leverage the strength of their inventories on Artsy, using their gallery pages to display the wide range of artworks in their inventory.

Kenneth A. Friedman & Co.tops the secondary-market rankings. The Californian gallery specializes in prints, works on paper, and sculptures by modern and contemporary artists. Its Artsy page features works by some of the most recognizable names of the secondary market, from Robert Rauschenberg to Tracey Emin.

Galleries with the most momentum

In this section of the report, we look at all galleries on Artsy that have had the greatest percentage growth in followers from the second half of 2023 through the first half of 2024.

The “follow” function on Artsy is one of the main ways that users can stay informed about their favorite galleries. When a user follows a gallery, Artsy will notify them when the gallery adds new shows or fair booths.

The galleries in this section represent a broad swathe of the gallery ecosystem—from international names with multiple branches to smaller operations that are building strong online networks.

Renowned tastemaker C L E A R I N Gtops the list. Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, the gallery recently expanded its outpost in Los Angeles, and also operates a space on the Bowery in New York. Representing a mix of established and emerging artists, it has established a strong track record of outstanding art fair presentations and buzzy gallery shows.

Methodology

This report seeks to provide an understanding of the art market dynamics online for different segments of the Artsy gallery ecosystem. To create this report, we analyzed commercial actions on artworks listed by Artsy gallery partners from June 2023 through June 2024. Commercial actions, including inquiries and e-commerce purchases, serve as indications of market interest and sales. We also looked at the galleries’ total gross merchandise value (GMV) on Artsy in our analysis of secondary-market galleries.

We divided galleries into three categories—large; small and mid-size; and secondary-market—through quantitative and qualitative factors, including but not limited to: number of artists the gallery represents, type of inventory, number of art fair presentations, physical gallery locations, and artwork value segments.

For the analysis of year-over-year growth in the “Galleries with the most momentum” section, we ensured that galleries had at least 10 followers in the second half of 2023, to avoid hyperbolic statements of growth.

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Charli XCX to headline LACMA gala honoring Simone Leigh and Baz Luhrmann. https://ift.tt/9Jn83rd

British pop sensation Charli XCX, who created the zeitgeist of summer 2024 with her hit album Brat, is set to headline the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) prestigious Art+Film Gala on November 2nd. The annual event, a highlight of the Los Angeles society calendar, raises funds for the museum’s various programs. In particular, the event supports the inclusion of film into LACMA’s curatorial agenda.

This year, the gala will honor two prominent figures in the arts: Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, and artist Simone Leigh. Leigh, whose work powerfully explores Black femme subjectivity and cultural history, represented the United States at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Her critically lauded works from the Venice pavilion are currently on display at LACMA and the California African American Museum. That show, which was previously on view at ICA Boston, will continue through January 20, 2025.

“Simone Leigh is one of the most captivating and important voices in contemporary art, brilliantly melding an array of different artistic traditions and centering Black femme subjects in powerful and moving ways,” said Michael Govan, LACMA’s CEO and director, in a statement.

The evening will be co-chaired by actor and art collector Leonardo DiCaprio—who starred in Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet in 1996—and fashion designer and philanthropist Eva Chow. “I can’t wait for our amazing musical guest Charli XCX to bring the house down,” Chow said. The pair have co-chaired the annual event since its inception in 2011.

The Art+Film Gala is one of the most important annual events for LACMA, enabling the institution to support its diverse programs and exhibitions. Last year’s gala, featuring a performance by rock icon Lenny Kravitz, raised more than $5 million. Previous honorees of the event include Amy Sherald, Mark Bradford, and David Hockney. The party tends to be a star-studded affair, filled with Hollywood A-listers. Last year’s event was attended by Kim Kardashian, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Lopez, alongside artists like Lauren Halsey, Catherine Opie, and Jonas Wood.

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Our Curators’ Guide to The Armory Show 2024 https://ift.tt/EGARyIo

The week after Labor Day in the New York art world means one thing: The Armory Show. Here, we share a guide to the fair’s 2024 edition, including the info you need to plan your visit and the must-see artworks we’re eyeing from the The Armory Show’s exclusive preview on Artsy.

What is The Armory Show?

Among New York City’s most anticipated annual art events, The Armory Show is returning to the Javits Center this September 5th through 8th. From its beginnings, the fair—now in its 30th edition—has focused primarily on showing contemporary art by living artists. Its exhibitors also feature the work of 20th-century greats.

What’s new at The Armory Show this year?

Located at the Javits Center on 11th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen—just north of some of the city’s most prominent galleries in Chelsea—this year’s fair will feature over 235 galleries from 35 countries. Among these, 55 are first-time exhibitors.

Launched as the Gramercy International Art Fair in 1994, The Armory Show is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The milestone comes at a transitional time for the fair, which was acquired by Frieze in July 2023. This year’s fair was planned in collaboration with Frieze. The Armory Show also recently appointed a new director, Kyla McMillan, founder of Saint George Projects and a former director at David Zwirner.

In addition to the main Galleries section, there are several curated sections throughout the fair, including:

• Solo, which features solo presentations by artists ranging from emerging talents to 20th-century masters.
• Focus, curated by The Kitchen’s senior curator Robyn Farrell, which showcases cross-disciplinary projects that call back to the fair’s avant-garde beginnings.
• Presents, which spotlights younger galleries that have been operating for 10 years or less.
• Platform, curated by former Brooklyn Museum curator Eugenie Tsai, which features large-scale installations installed throughout the fair. This year, the presentation will explore the theme of collective memory, with works by Dominique Fung, Sanford Biggers, and Nari Ward, among others.

Planning your visit

Dates and hours

The Armory Show’s invitation-only VIP preview runs on Thursday, September 5th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The fair is open to the public on September 6th and 7th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on September 8th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased on site at the door, or in advance from The Armory Show’s website. Single-day admission will run you $57, or you can buy a multi-day entry pass for $120.

Our curators’ picks from The Armory Show 2024

Las Sirenas, 2023
Camila Falquez
Hannah Traore

We’re pleased to be hosting the exclusive online preview of The Armory Show on Artsy, beginning August 29th. Even if you plan to attend the fair in person, browsing the digital preview can help you strategize before your visit and be first to inquire about artwork availability before these works are shown publicly. We’ll continue hosting inventory on Artsy until September 22nd, so you can shop long after the booths come down at the Javits Center.

Artsy’s Curatorial team scoured the preview to highlight the very best available artworks in our Curators’ Picks: Armory Week collection, which we’ll continue to update regularly as more inventory becomes available on Artsy.

Here, we share the artists and trends we’re eyeing at the fair.

Artists to watch at The Armory Show

Time Standing in a Passage #3, 2024
Yoonhee Choi
G Gallery

Blow #16, 2024
Yoonhee Choi
G Gallery

Hide, 2024
Chris Soal
WHATIFTHEWORLD

Traveller (there is no path. The path is made by walking), 2024
Chris Soal
WHATIFTHEWORLD

Alondra Yajaira Márquez Carabalí, Ella, 2024
Camila Falquez
Hannah Traore

• Yoonhee Choi at G Gallery: Korean emerging artist Yoonhee Choi is making her Armory debut with Seoul’s tastemaking G Gallery. One of Artsy’s Artists on Our Radar last December, Choi paints amorphous and undulating color fields in meditative palettes. Her abstractions call to mind deep space and chemical reactions.
• Chris Soal at WHATIFTHEWORLD: Repurposing found materials, including beer bottle caps and electric fencing cables, South African artist Chris Soal crafts intricate sculptures that play with texture and shape. A standout work featured in Soal’s presentation with Cape Town gallery WHATIFTHEWORLD is Hide (2024). The biomorphic sculpture, composed of countless sharp toothpicks, creates a striking illusion of softness from afar. In transforming everyday objects, Soal showcases the surprising potential of materials.
• Camila Falquez at Hannah Traore: New York–based photographer Camila Falquez’s compelling portraits, presented by Hannah Traore, are defined by her subjects’ direct gazes and her distinct use of color. These photos explore ideas about power, beauty, and gender expression—as seen in Alondra Yajaira Márquez Carabalí, Ella (2024), which captures the human rights activist posing on concrete stairs in a flowing red dress that evokes a mermaid’s tail. Like Falquez’s other works, this photo is framed in silk, underscoring the importance of fabric to her subjects’ self-presentation.

Trends to watch at The Armory Show

Of Mercy to Shelter and Shield, 2024
Li Hei Di
Michael Kohn Gallery

Winnowing Wind, 2024
Heather Day
Berggruen Gallery

100 years is not enough, 2024
Nir Hod
KOTARO NUKAGA

• Natural abstraction: Earlier this year, we noted a number of artists fusing the age-old tradition of landscape painting with abstraction, one of the market’s current obsessions. Natural abstraction is abundant at this year’s Armory Show, too. One standout work is the breathtaking three-panel oil painting Of Mercy to Shelter and Shield (2024) from Artsy Vanguard alum Li Hei Di, on offer from Michael Kohn Gallery. Other examples in this category include buzzed-about Frankenthaler-esque paintings by Heather Day, and impressive light-reflecting tableaus by Nir Hod that recall Monet’s water lilies.
• Architectural sculptures: Browsing the preview, we asked ourselves—are we witnessing a resurgence of minimalism? This year’s fair has a wide-ranging selection of large-scale sculptures with strong, architectural lines, many crafted with industrial materials. At Nara Roesler, severe-yet-elegant metal sculptures by the Brazilian artist Artur Lescher swing from the ceiling like giant pendulums, held aloft by steel cables. Meanwhile, Larry Bell, known for his transparent, hard-edged sculptures, has several works on offer at the fair, including an exemplary dark gray cube at Bernard Jacobson Gallery.

Pond of Life, 2024
Akea Brionne
Library Street Collective

Tomie, 2021
Artur Lescher
Nara Roesler

Xx #02, 2022
Artur Lescher
Nara Roesler

Cube 53 (dark grey), 2006
Larry Bell
Bernard Jacobson Gallery

Invelo - II, 2024
Kimathi Mafafo
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery

Miyako, 2024
Kandy G Lopez
ACA Galleries

• Figurative textile art: In 2022, we spotlighted women artists of color working with textile art, exploring their relationship with the medium and its historical legacy. This kind of practice is well-represented at this year’s Armory Show. In the preview, we noted a trend of figurative textile art, as exemplified by the works of Kimathi Mafafo, Akea Brionne, and Kandy G Lopez. Mafafo’s hand- and machine-embroidered works, presented by Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, depict Black women surrounded by nature. Brionne also presents portraits of women in natural environments; her shimmering works, on offer from Library Street Collective, are created using digitally printed images on jacquard. Lopez, who is showing with ACA Galleries, sets her subjects against minimalist, gridded backdrops using yarn, mesh, and acrylic paint.

Beyond The Armory Show

The Armory Show is not the only fair happening in New York in September. Independent 20th Century is back at Cipriani South Street from September 5th through 8th, and VOLTA Art Fair, which focuses on emerging art, is also returning to New York from September 4th through 8th. And of course, there will be plenty of new gallery shows opening across the city, from Tribeca to the Upper East Side.

The Armory Show 2024’s off-site programming expands the fair’s footprint with a range of public artworks across New York City. We’re eyeing Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons’s Procession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity, a participatory procession taking place on September 7th. And for those heading to the U.S. Open, don’t miss a series of large-scale sculptures at the National Tennis Center.

Explore The Armory Show 2024 with Artsy’s exclusive preview of the fair and our Curators’ Picks: Armory Week collection.

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10 Must-See Museum Exhibitions This Fall https://ift.tt/F0nyCjR

Summer (brat or otherwise) is over. Nonetheless, the art world is preparing for another busy fall season with the newly renamed Art Basel Paris, and the London and Seoul editions of Frieze, as well as Manifesta and Gwangju Biennale all on the horizon. Meanwhile, museums across the globe are unveiling some of their highest-profile exhibitions of the year.

From debut institutional solo shows to those focusing renewed attention on overlooked artists, here are some of the most anticipated exhibitions opening this fall.

Magdalena Suárez Frimkess, “The Finest Disregard”

LACMA, Los Angeles

Through Jan. 5, 2025

“The Finest Disregard” celebrates the prolific career of the Venezuelan-born, Los Angeles–based artist Magdalena Suárez Frimkess in her first museum exhibition. A beloved figure in Californian art circles for decades, Frimkess burst onto the national and international stage in 2014 at the age of 84. Her charming, hand-built and hand-glazed vessels and figurines merge traditional pottery techniques with playful, unexpected imagery. Whether drawing on folk art, Chilean landscapes, family life, pre-Columbian imagery, or Mickey Mouse, Frimkess crafts pieces that are as expressive as they are complex, reflecting her rich heritage and life experiences. The LACMA exhibition will feature around 40 works, including recent creations. Several pieces are on loan from the collections of L.A. artists, underscoring Frimkess’s impact on the local community.

Elizabeth Catlett, “Art for the People”

Brooklyn Museum, New York

Sep. 13, 2024–Jan. 19, 2025

The most comprehensive presentation of Elizabeth Catlett’s work in the U.S. to date, “Art for the People” showcases over 150 pieces by the influential artist and activist. Throughout her six-decade career, Catlett was driven by a fierce commitment to “put art in the service of the people.” Drawing on her experiences as an African American woman and her political exile in Mexico, Catlett created prints and sculptures that address themes of violence, labor rights, and liberation. Her wood and stone sculptures feature strong, elongated figures, while her prints are distinguished by their bold use of light and dark contrasts. The exhibition will highlight Catlett’s artistic achievements and underscore how her work remains relevant today as it echoes ongoing struggles for equality and justice.

“Arte Povera: From Process to Presence”

Pinault Collection, Paris

Oct. 9, 2024–Jan. 20, 2025

In the 1960s, a group of Italian artists abandoned oil on canvas, bronze, and marble in favor of lightbulbs, potatoes, wool, and coal—which sparked the Arte Povera movement, or “poor art.” Amid economic downturn in Italy and the rise of Pop art in America, these artists created simple, poetic, and radical work that challenged the concept of what art could be. For them, art was not a static object, but something constantly transforming. This fall, the Pinault Collection will bring together over 250 works by key figures such as Luciano Fabro, Giuseppe Penone, and Marisa Merz, as well as new commissions, and works from related international movements. Focusing on the processual nature of the movement, the exhibition will emphasize Arte Povera’s bold redefinition of materiality and challenge to the commodification of art.

Haegue Yang, “Leap Year”

Hayward Gallery, London

Oct. 9, 2024–Jan. 5, 2025

“Leap Year” marks Haegue Yang’s first major U.K. survey, showcasing her inventive, interdisciplinary practice through more than 50 works. Spanning her career from the early 2000s to the present, the exhibition showcases Yang’s signature series like “Light Sculptures” and “The Intermediates,” alongside recent collages and three major new commissions. Known for transforming everyday objects such as drying racks, pom-poms, bells, and yarn into immersive, multisensory installations, Yang engages with themes of cultural identity, spirituality, and history in her work. The show’s centerpiece, Star-Crossed Rendezvous after Yun (2024), is a new large-scale installation from Yang’s acclaimed “Venetian Blinds” series. Featuring ascending layers of the titular blinds in varying formations and colors, the work will guide visitors through the exhibition space.

Medardo Rosso, “Inventing Modern Sculpture”

mumok, Vienna

Oct. 18, 2024–Feb. 23, 2025

This extensive retrospective at mumok celebrates Medardo Rosso, an influential figure in the development of modern sculpture. Presenting around 50 of his works alongside photographs and drawings, the exhibition reveals how Rosso used materials like wax and plaster to capture fleeting moments and ephemeral sensations—a radical departure from the traditional sculptures of his time. Rosso’s ability to convey transient moments earned him the admiration of his contemporaries, including Auguste Rodin. Rosso’s impact, however, extends far beyond his own era, resonating deeply with later artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Robert Morris, Lynda Benglis, Phyllida Barrow, and Eva Hesse. “Inventing Modern Sculpture” not only revisits Rosso’s pioneering techniques but also places his work in direct conversation with these artists, highlighting his profound impact on 20th- and 21st-century sculpture.

Tacita Dean, “Blind Folly”

Menil Collection, Houston

Oct. 11, 2024–Apr. 19, 2025

“Blind Folly” is the first major U.S. survey of the British artist Tacita Dean, featuring her renowned chalk drawings, films, and photographs. Dean’s work often revolves around the themes of chance and unpredictability, ideas that lie at the heart of this exhibition. The title reflects Dean’s embrace of the unexpected, allowing the behavior of her mediums to guide the outcome. “Blind Folly” features new works inspired by Dean’s time in Houston, which she visited several times to prepare for the exhibition, and includes her iconic chalk drawings on blackboards. These monumental drawings depict natural phenomena such as clouds, mountains, and icebergs. With fluid lines and delicate erasures (partly inspired by Cy Twombly, who gives his name to the gallery the show is in), the intricate works highlight the tactile and process-driven aspects of Dean’s practice.

Kim Lim, “The Space Between”

National Gallery, Singapore

Sep. 27, 2024–Feb. 2, 2025

“The Space Between” celebrates the legacy of the U.K.–based, Singaporean-born artist Kim Lim with the most comprehensive exhibition of her work in Asia to date. Featuring over 100 pieces, including sculptures, prints, and drawings, the exhibition traces Lim’s four-decade-long exploration of form, rhythm, and light. In her sculptures, Lim meticulously carves stone, wood, and marble into clean, geometric forms that nonetheless maintain a sense of movement and flow. Her elegant, rhythmic patterns resemble natural forms like rippling water and undulating landscapes. Characterized by smooth surfaces and harmonious proportions, her minimalist works evoke the interplay between positive and negative space. “The Space Between” promises to showcase the quiet intensity of Lim’s work, reaffirming her as a key figure in global modernism.

“Surréalisme”

Centre Pompidou, Paris

Sep. 4, 2024–Jan. 13, 2025

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Surrealist movement, this exhibition will bring together over 200 works by key figures like Salvador Dalí, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, and Dora Maar. The show (the Paris iteration of a traveling exhibition drawn from the Pompidou’s exceptional collection of French Surrealism) will explore the political and cultural circumstances that led these artists to challenge realism and logic in favor of dreamlike and irrational themes. Emerging in the wake of World War I and influenced by the rise of psychoanalysis, Surrealism was first introduced in 1924 through André Breton’s “Surrealist Manifesto.” The movement shattered traditional artistic norms by focusing on the unconscious mind and the bizarre juxtapositions of everyday objects. With its labyrinthine design and Breton’s manifesto at the center, the Pompidou exhibition (later to travel to Hamburg, Madrid, and Philadelphia) will offer an immersive exploration of the themes and ideas that made Surrealism a defining movement of the 20th century.

Donald Rodney, “Visceral Canker”

Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham

Oct. 14, 2024–Feb. 4, 2025

This major retrospective at Nottingham Contemporary revisits the incisive work of the late British artist Donald Rodney, who explored the intersections of racial identity, chronic illness, and Britain’s colonial history. The exhibition (which will travel to the Whitechapel in London) takes its name from a 1990 piece featuring heraldic plaques linked by medical tubes pumping fake blood—a metaphor for colonialism as a societal disease. A founding member of the BLK Art Group, Rodney used his battle with sickle cell anemia as a symbol of broader social ills, often incorporating his own skin and scars into his tender yet politically charged work. This exhibition, which brings together all surviving works and archival materials, will offer a comprehensive view of Rodney’s exploration of Black identity and British history.

“Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350”

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Oct. 13, 2024–Jan. 26, 2025

The Met presents the first major U.S. exhibition dedicated to early Sienese painting, a period often overshadowed by the Florentine Renaissance. “Siena: The Rise of Painting, 1300–1350” brings together over 100 masterpieces by important figures such as Duccio, Simone Martini, and the Lorenzetti brothers. The exhibition will notably single out one significant development of this era: the creation of narrative altarpieces. These were made of multiple panels depicting scenes from the lives of religious figures. Each panel told a part of the overall story, creating a compelling visual narrative that guided the viewer through the religious tale. With rare loans and the historical reunifications of dispersed altarpieces, this exhibition celebrates Siena’s profound influence on Western painting, reaffirming its place alongside Florence as a vital artistic center in the 14th century.

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